


Gone

by FlamingLeaf



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Mystery, Past Lives, Travel, Wilderness Survival, Young Uzumaki Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28163631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlamingLeaf/pseuds/FlamingLeaf
Summary: "Tell me, child, what are you doing here?"Naruto swallowed. "I don't' know," he answered quietly. "I just woke up here. Nobody was there. I left.""You woke up here?" the man repeated, a tiny frown marring his face. "Where did you wake up child?""A few days from here. There was stone and sand everywhere," Naruto answered. "Nothing green."A cave. A child. A kunai.Waking up in the middle of nowhere and tangled in mysteries present and past, Naruto has a long way to go home.
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

It was bright.

 _Too_ bright.

Naruto groaned quietly and instinctively quenched his eyes shut again. His head thrummed terribly and for several seconds he just kept laying down listening to his rhythmically beating heart while his mind slowly began to work again.

The ground beneath him felt cold and hard. Naruto reached down blindly, small fingers stroking over a rough, cool surface.

Was that stone?

Suddenly feeling fully awake, Naruto forced himself into an upright position and opened his eyes again, carefully keeping his gaze away from the direction of the blinding light.

He blinked twice to get his eyes to focus and blearily followed the path his hand had taken earlier.

He had been right.

It was stone.

 _Why_ was he laying on stone?

He raised his still throbbing head, dimly registering that he was completely surrounded by cragged mossy rock.

Was this a _cave_?

No, that could not be. After all just moments earlier, he had been -

Had been...

Had been where?

Naruto was not sure what he had been doing just before, but whatever it was, it was certainly not involving a nap in a cave.

He shivered, suddenly feeling very cold.

Why was it so cold?

He looked down.

His shirt was torn.

Why was his shirt torn?

Perhaps he was still dreaming? Yes. It was probably just one strange dream, all he had to do was open his eyes and he would be back in his nice, warm bed.

His eyelids did not move.

His eyes were already open.

Maybe it would work if he closed and opened his eyes again?

Naruto blinked very slowly.

The cave was still there.

He was not dreaming.

That could only mean...

This...

This was _real_.

* * *

Naruto did not know how long he had been sitting there, staring blankly at the cave walls, it felt like both hours and seconds and time had become endlessly long and ridiculously short.

It was when his headache finally subsided that Naruto's expression firmed and he forced himself on his feet, slowly making his way into the direction of the light.

His steps were still slightly unsteady, and he was so focused on reaching the cave entrance that he stumbled over something solid laying on the ground.

Instinctively Naruto's hands grabbed for the rocky walls saving himself from a hard fall on the unyielding and uneven ground.

Once he had regained his footing, he knelt down to see just what had almost felled him and blinked in surprise.

It was a kunai.

What was a kunai doing here?

Had it been left for him?

This entire situation made no sense.

Sighing the five-year-old grabbed the weapon. He had to find out where he was.

And then he would make his way home.

_Believe it!_

* * *

The area was strangely dichotomic. Rock and sand co-existed peacefully next to each other, but wherever Naruto looked, there was no tree in sight. In fact, there was nothing green at all.

He swallowed.

This was certainly not Konoha.

He was not even sure if this was _Fire Country_ at all.

Unless someone had managed to redecorate an entire country over night.

Yeah.

Right.

Totally _im_ possible.

So, _where_ was he?

His heartbeat quickened. Naruto resolutely quashed the rising flames of impeding panic.

He would get out of here.

He would get home.

He was Naruto Uzumaki. He would never give up.

_Believe it._

* * *

The sun was burning down hotly, and Naruto felt strangely tired. His throat felt drier than the sand he was walking on and his stomach rumbled loudly.

He needed something to drink. Something to eat. Directions. _Anything_ at all.

Forcing himself to move forward, Naruto clung tightly to his resolution to hold on. But his legs felt heavier with every step he took, and his throat was practically burning by now.

He was just about to sink down and rest for a bit when he heard it. The quiet sound of running water. Suddenly energized by the thought of being able to quell his agonizing thirst, Naruto run into the direction of the sound and stopped only when he finally saw the wide stream in front of him.

Panting heavily, he stumbled towards the river with clumsy, desperate steps and pushed his head into the cool water without a second thought.

Naruto could practically feel his life returning to him as he drank greedily and the burn in his throat was finally soothed.

Exhausted he fell back onto a patch of grass - there was something green! - and stared into the sky. For several long moments he did nothing but lay there and enjoy the fact that he felt alive and was _not_ thirsty anymore.

Then his stomach rumbled again. Oh right, he was hungry, too.

Tiredly, he pushed himself up again and looked around. Was there something to eat? Some fruit perhaps?

But there was nothing edible in sight.

Naruto sighed.

Of course not.

It was never that easy.

But maybe he could find something if he followed the river and if not, well, at least he would not have to worry about being thirsty again.

Sadly, there were no berries growing along the way, but Naruto could see several small animals hastily scurrying away at his approach.

A rabbit vanished into its burrow and Naruto stared after it in deep contemplation. If he could manage to catch one, he could eat some meat. But how to go about it?

He looked around. There were some vines winding themselves around a tree. Naruto grinned. Perfect.

He took out his kunai and set to work.

* * *

Naruto was laying in one of the bushes trying his best not to fidget. He was excited, but he knew if he made to much noise the rabbit would not dare to leave its burrow and he would have to stay hungry.

So, he forced himself to stay calm and silent. It was extremely hard for him, being as excitable as he was. But this time he could not afford to mess up. He was so terribly hungry.

He did not know how long he waited, but the sun was already starting to set when he finally saw a faint movement at the burrow's entrance.

Naruto held his breath and stilled.

' _Please work. Please work._ '

The rabbit cautiously wriggled out of its burrow and the trap was sprung.

Naruto yelled in excitement. It had worked! He could eat now!

Silently apologizing to the rabbit, Naruto closed his eyes and brought the kunai down.

It was a messy kill.

Skinning the rabbit was even messier.

* * *

Naruto swallowed heavily as he washed the blood away. The sticky liquid mixed with the clear water, painting a distorted crimson picture.

He turned away.

It had been necessary.

The rabbit still tasted stale.

* * *

Naruto yawned. The day had been terribly exhausting for him. Both mentally and physically. Now he really just wanted to lay down and sleep.

Slightly regretful Naruto extinguished the warm fire, reset the trap in front of the burrow and crawled beneath some bushes. Tightly wrapping his jacket around him to make up for his ripped shirt, Naruto fell into a light and troubled sleep.

* * *

A sunbeam fought his way through the thick leaves and tickled his nose. Naruto grumbled slightly at the sudden light and reluctantly opened his eyes. He was still tired.

But the moment he saw his green hiding place in front of him his mind immediately assaulted him with the reality of his situation and Naruto found himself fully awake again.

Brushing some dirt and laves out of his clothes he went to check on his trap and was happy to see that he had caught another rabbit.

Wrapping his catch in his jacket to keep it for later, he quickly washed himself in the river and set out again.

The path was getting rockier and the amount of sand decreased with every step he took until he could only see small patches of the yellow dust between jagged stones and increasingly tall rocks.

A high cliff was towering in front of him and Naruto could faintly see the outline of something dark hidden behind a ledge.

Was that...a hut? Naruto was curious.

Who had built a hut on a _ledge_?!

It was too bad that there was no way for him to reach it.

It was after all not like he could just walk up there.

Or could he?

Naruto stopped.

He vaguely remembered those animal masked people he had seen in jij's office. Jiji had said that they used chakra to stick their masks to their faces.

So, if they could stick something to themselves...maybe it worked the other way, too. Maybe _he_ could stick _himself_ to something.

Naruto critically eyed the rock next to him. Why not? He could always try.

It was not like he had anything to lose.

But first it was time for lunch.

* * *

The five-year-old kid stared at the rock in contemplative confusion. He had absolutely no idea how to start. Should he just put his foot on the stone? Or his hands? Or both?

Naruto tried to take an experimental half-step but didn't get beyond propping his right foot up before he realized that it was not going to work that way. He would fall right down.

Pondering slightly, he put his hand against the rock and concentrated on the warmth he always felt flowing through his veins. He pushed it into his hands - and was immediately blown backwards, instinctively cushioning his fall with arms.

Rubbing his throbbing elbows, Naruto fixed the rock with determined eyes.

He would get that down.

_Believe it!_

* * *

Naruto collapsed on a sandy patch and ruefully eyed his scratched hands. He was quite sore from continuously falling down and his body felt like it had been thrown around like a rag doll.

He might have overdone it bit with his training and had completely lost track of time. Now the sun had set, and he had not even searched for his dinner yet.

Sighing at his own lack of forethought, Naruto resigned himself to stay hungry tonight and searched for a safe place to sleep.

* * *

Naruto spent the next three days in proximity to the cliff, splitting his time between trying to climb up the rock and hunting for food and small animals. He had extended his hunting grounds to his immediate surroundings and discovered a conifer forest a bit further to the south. It was not a very big one, but at least he had managed to find some wild berries to compliment his meat-heavy diet.

It was at the end of the fourth day that he finally managed to succeed.

There were no words to describe the feeling of triumph and satisfaction the five-year-old felt as he looked down on the path with the eyes of a conqueror, standing proudly on the eight feet high rock like a victorious king overlooking his newly acquired kingdom.

Tomorrow he would go and investigate the hut.

* * *

The cliff was really gigantic. Naruto swallowed and kept his eyes firmly directed on his destination, steadfastly refusing to look down.

Naruto did not know how long he had walked but he was panting by the time he reached the ledge.

Cautiously he swung himself on it and looked curiously at the wooden building in front of him.

It was obvious that it had been empty for quite some time. The wood was worn and covered in dirt and moss.

Naruto carefully pushed against the door. It opened with a loud creaking sound and he was greeted by a cloud of dust.

He coughed and stepped back, waiting until the dust had settled and he could actually see inside.

The sunlight fell through the door and illuminated the sparse interior. The room contained nothing more than a table, a stove and some dusty cloth carelessly thrown into one corner.

Naruto entered slowly, his steps leaving prints on the thick white layer covering the floor.

Strange symbols edged in the doorway glowed so dimly they went unseen, before subsiding and falling dormant again.

Naruto approached the bundle of cloth and picked it up. The material was so coarse it disintegrated between his fingers.

There was a loud clatter as something fell onto the ground.

Naruto looked down.

A pendant was laying on the floor.

Naruto picked the pendant up and turned it over in his hands. It was surprisingly heavy and had a very strange design. It looked like a squashed cross with three open half-circles on both sides.

Shrugging carelessly, Naruto put it on. Almost immediately a gentle warmth washed over him. It seemed familiar and yet completely foreign.

Naruto unconsciously relaxed. He stroked once over the pendant and it pulsed under his touch. There was chakra in it! Curiously, Naruto pushed some of his own back.

The pendant glowed again and suddenly something heavy fell out of it. It was a book. Naruto's jaw dropped. That pendant was actually a _storage space_.

He turned the book over in his hands and inspected it closely.

It had no title, just a plain red cover.

Naruto walked back to the door where the sunlight was more prominent and opened it.

The first thing he saw was the name Ashura written on the first page in childish kanji.

Interested, Naruto flopped down in front of the hut's entrance and looked at the handwritten entries.

_"Brother and I went fishing today! We caught five fish. We'll be having it for dinner. I cannot wait!"_

_"Brother is so great! He made an entire technique on his own! I am really proud to be his brother!"_

_"We played in the forest today. It was really fun!"_

Huh. Someone had a brother complex. Naruto rolled his eyes and flipped somewhere to the end of the book. Maybe there would be something more interesting. Maybe even a cool technique!

He looked over the page. It had four more entries. But the childish tune Ashura had used at the beginning had changed into something more mature.

_"Indra is changing. Ever since we returned from the forest, he has been different. Father said it was because he awakened his Sharingan, but I am not so sure about that. Brother has always been very ambitious, but never so cold. I do not like it. Was it really just the bear attack?"_

A bear attack? They were attacked by a bear? How exciting! Hastily he read the next entry, maybe there would be more about it, but to his great disappointment it was not to be.

_"I cannot recognize my brother anymore. Why is he suddenly so hateful? Have I done something wrong? Is it my fault? Just what happened to him?"_

_"There is something strange going on. When I went to get a glass of water last night, I could have sworn that I have seen a dark shadow move in front of my brother's room, but when I looked again it was gone. Maybe I was just imagining it."_

_"I heard the students talking today. They said they would never accept Indra as father's successor. I feel so bad for my brother. If only he would ease up a bit. On another note, I have seen this black figure again. Just for a second, but I clearly saw it melt into the ground. I looked at me with yellow eyes. I am starting to get nervous. Maybe I should tell father about it."_

A black figure? _Melting_ into the ground? Cool! Naruto turned the page and stared at ragged paper residues.

The last pages had been roughly ripped out.

How strange.

He glanced at the book. Just how was he supposed to get it back into the pendant? Tentatively he pressed the two items together and pushed some of his chakra into it. The book vanished.

That was so cool!

* * *

Naruto spent the next few hours rummaging through the hut and was more than happy when he found an old waterskin. He inspected it carefully, but luckily it seemed to be undamaged.

It was probably the best thing that had happened to him the last days. Now he could finally venture a bit further away from the stream without having to worry about his water supply.

It was his stomach that finally reminded him of his need for sustenance. Throwing a last glance at the hut, he slowly made his way back down again.

* * *

He was about two days away from the hut now and he still had no idea _where_ he was. He sighed, sagged against the trunk of a nearby tree and breathed deeply.

He had barely closed his eyes when the earth suddenly shuddered beneath him. Naruto's eyes snapped open. What was that?

An earthquake?

The ground shook again. A small bird fell from the tree he had been leaning against, spread its wings, and agitatedly soared into the sky.

Naruto could see a gigantic cloud of dust in the distance.

Then everything fell silent once more.

Naruto was curious. Just what had happened?

Should he go and take a look?

But what if it was dangerous?

He pondered for about two seconds, before his natural curiosity won out and he left into the direction of the slowly settling dust cloud.

* * *

Naruto stared at the crater in front of him. It was so as deep he could not even see the bottom. Several trees around him had been felled and there were scorch marks on the ground.

This...

This was a _battlefield_!

Suddenly Naruto felt very uneasy. Whoever had caused this destruction had to be very powerful and if that battle had just happened minutes before...

Then maybe whoever did that could still be here.

He glanced around, but the air was still somewhat heavy with dust and he could not see anyone.

Overcome with another bout of curiosity Naruto carefully edged closer and stopped abruptly when he could see the blurry outline of a figure through the dust-covered air.

Naruto stopped, his heartbeat quickened, and he kept his eyes carefully on the unmoving form.

"I know you are here." The voice was cool and cut through the eerie silence like sharpened steel. "Come out."

Naruto swallowed. That was not supposed to happen. He should not have come, he should have stayed away, should have left the moment he realized what he had walked into. He should just turn away and run and not look back... - but his feet moved into the wrong direction.

And then he saw him. It was a man, leaning against a tree trunk and breathing heavily.

Naruto stepped closer and the man's head snapped up. Ringed purple eyes bore into blue orbs and a flicker of something indiscernible flitted through the man's gaze.

"A child?" he whispered quietly, seemingly surprised by this unexpected development.

Naruto hesitated. All his instincts screamed that this was a bad idea. He did not know this man. He could be dangerous.

No, not could, he is, Naruto amended as he saw the slashed headband. But the man was laying here in front of him, possibly hurt and Naruto felt the sudden urge to help.

He stepped closer. The man's eyes narrowed.

"Are you hurt? ", Naruto asked tentatively, silently relieved that his voice did not quiver. Cautiously he took another step and knelt slowly next to the exhausted man who eyed his approach with a sharp look. The warning is his gaze was clear. One wrong move and Naruto would be finished.

"You don't look hurt," Naruto stated.

"Because I am not," the man answered, still watching Naruto attentively.

Naruto fidgeted under his intense stare "Ehm…Are you thirsty? There's a stream down there if you can move. "

"Child," the man stated slowly. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Um, no?" Naruto blinked in confusion.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you think it is a good idea to strike up a conversation with a missing-nin - On the remains of a battlefield?"

"You looked hurt," Naruto answered honestly. "Maybe you needed help."

The man lowered his head, his shoulders shook silently. Then he threw his head back and laughed. It was a bitter sound.

Naruto shuddered. The missing-nin put his hands on the ground and pushed himself up. He brushed some dust of his cloak and looked down at the still kneeling child. Naruto tilted his head and met his gaze with impossibly open and innocent eyes.

"Who are you child?" the man asked after a moment of silence.

"Naruto," the boy answered. "Uzumaki Naruto."

There was it again. That strange indiscernible look, only this time there was a flash of something else in it. Recognition?

"Uzumaki Naruto." Clothes rustled softly and suddenly the man was crouched in front of him.

A hand closed around Naruto's chin and pushed his face up to meet the man's intense stare. "Tell me, child, what are you doing here?"

Naruto swallowed. "I don't' know," he answered quietly. "I just woke up here. Nobody was there. I left."

"You woke up _here_?" the man repeated, a tiny frown marring his face. "Where did you wake up child?"

"A few days from here. There was stone and sand everywhere," Naruto answered. "Nothing green", he added, somehow he felt the inexplainable need to add that.

"I see."

Naruto didn't.

The man released him. "Take me there," he demanded.

Naruto's eyes widened. "But it will take days to walk there!" he protested weakly.

A smirk flitted over the man's face. "Who said anything about walking? We are going to run."

There was a blur of movement and Naruto was suddenly thrown over the man's shoulder.

"Hey!" he yelled loudly.

"Hush," the man replied and jostled him slightly to get his point across. "Now which direction?"

"Left," Naruto muttered unwillingly.

They took off.

Two hours. What had taken Naruto days to travel, the man had covered in two hours. Now he was sitting sullenly in front of the cave entrance waiting for the man to finish doing whatever it was he wanted to accomplish by staring at the cave floor.

The missing-nin was currently busy inspecting the ground. Ringed eyes trailing over the barely visible ink spots splattered over the floor, marking the edges of what seemed to be the boundaries of a seal. Someone had done a ritual here. An improvised one. And whoever had done it had left in a hurry. Otherwise they would not have been so sloppy in cleaning up after them.

This also explained the strange malevolent chakra residue in the air. It did not sit well with him that something like this had happened so close to his borders.

He turned towards the child. The boy was still sitting where he had left him. Good. "Show me your stomach." he demanded sharply.

Naruto stared at him in disbelief. "Eh? _Why_?!"

"Do it. _Now_." The man's eyes narrowed.

The child started at the man's dangerous tune and scrambled to obey, hastily unwrapping his shredded jacked until only the naked skin could be seen.

The missing-nin glanced shortly at the pendant hanging on the boy's neck and frowned, before he focused on his true objective.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Naruto complained as a hand came to rest on his belly.

"Silence." The man furrowed his brows and his hand suddenly started to glow; his eyes fixed on the child's stomach.

Nothing happened.

Naruto was not surprised. Just what was he trying to _do_?

The hand was lowered, and a very dark look passed over the man's face. Naruto swallowed unconsciously and scooted away. The man looked _angry_. He could already feel the man's chakra thickening around him.

Suddenly he was hanging over the man's shoulder again. Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but the dangerous aura surrounding the missing-nin stopped him from voicing his complaints. Naruto sagged on his shoulder and the tight grip around him loosened from bruising into something more bearable.

* * *

"It's raining," Naruto grumbled.

"It is."

"Since two days!"

"That's why it is called the Land of Rain," the man answered matter-of-factly.

"So it's always raining?" Naruto asked incredulously. "But then everyone gets _wet_." Naruto was drenched himself and not really happy about the idea of this situation becoming a regular occurrence.

The missing-nin turned his head and looked at the shivering child. The boy's clothes were saggy with water and his blond, usually unruly hair dangled into his face. All in all, he made a rather pitiful picture. That was when he realized that the child had not even complained once.

"There is a village close by. We will rest there."

"Really?!" Naruto was beyond excited. A real village? Did that mean he could sleep in a real _bed_?!

"Yes. But before that…"

Naruto was suddenly lowered down. "There are some rules we have to discuss."

"Rules?" Naruto repeated nervously.

"Yes child, _Rules_." The man stepped forward, effectively crowding the young child against the tree behind him.

"You will _not_ leave my side. You will _not_ attempt to run and you will _not_ talk to anyone without my permission. If you break one of these rules you _will_ regret it. Do you understand? "

Naruto nodded rapidly. "Yes…um…what should I call you?"

The man smiled wryly. "While we are inside the village you will call me brother."

"But we don't look like brothers!"

"That can be easily remedied. Watch closely, child. This is how you do _Henge_."

* * *

Naruto watched the village with wide eyes. It had been way too long that he had seen real people. He blew a stray brown strand out of his face. This disguise was really hard to get used to. He glanced at the man next to him. He still could not believe that the nondescript stranger next to him was the missing-nin he had been traveling with for days. He looked so normal with his brown hair and black eyes – and there was not even a single piercing in sight. It really did not fit him.

His currently-brother led them towards a small inn at the southern side of the town. It was not big, but then the village itself was rather small.

They entered through the worn doors and approached the innkeeper. Naruto barely heard what the missing-nin was saying to the plump woman, he was way too busy staring at all those people happily indulging in very delicious looking food.

A hand landed on his shoulder and Naruto was led through a doorway arch and up a steep spiral stair.

The room they had been assigned to was not very big. But it had two beds and a small bathroom. Naruto was beyond happy.

He wanted to throw himself on the fluffy blanket but was blocked by the missing-nin's arm. "You are drenched," the man reminded him pointedly. "Go and clean up."

Naruto grumbled inaudibly and trotted into the bathroom. He threw his shredded clothes off until he was only wearing his newly acquired pendant and jumped under the warm shower. It was heavenly.

He took his time cleaning himself and when he finally stepped out, he found a bundle of clothes sitting on the bathroom chair. How had they ended up here?

Naruto tried them on. The trousers were a bit too big and the shirt a smidge too long, but it was way better than running around in drags.

He returned to the room. The missing-nin had dispelled his henge and was standing in front of the window, his clothes in pristine condition.

He turned around as Naruto entered and nodded wordlessly towards the covered plates on the dining table.

Food! They were getting actual food!

Naruto jumped on one of the chairs and waited impatiently for the man to join him.

* * *

Naruto was content. Or at least, as content as he could be in his situation. His dinner had tasted like the best thing he had ever had but it still was miles away from Ichiraku's ramen. Ah… he really could do with a bowl now. Or ten. His heart dropped. Would he ever be able to go home?

He still had no idea what that man wanted with him. He really wanted to ask, but he was too afraid to hear the answer. So he kept quiet and buried himself deeper into the warm, soft blanket.

* * *

The man stared at the sleeping boy. Uzumaki Naruto. To think that he would run across this child of all people in the middle of nowhere. The boy had practically wandered into his arms. It was like having a golden opportunity delivered on a silver platter - only to realize that the opportunity was missing and the platter empty. Pain felt the sudden urge to laugh mirthlessly.

The seal was gone. The Kyuubi probably too and he had not the slightest idea _how_ it had happened. They had not even started their plans yet and they were already being jeopardized.

Pain ran his hand over his face. They had to find out what happened to the Nine-Tails and they had to find it out fast. Luckily enough the Nine-Tails was the last one they had to seal. So they still had time.

He knew one of his other paths was already thoroughly inspecting the cave, trying to reconstruct the ritual circle.

Until then they could only wait - and keep a close eye on the former vessel.

Pain looked at the bed and felt a faint tinge of sympathy for the restlessly sleeping child that might never get to see his home again.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

A hand on his shoulder shook him awake. Naruto grumbled and turned over. "No. Wanna sleep." The hand on his shoulder grew more insistent, closing almost painfully around him.

Naruto groggily sat up, glaring sleepily at the figure looming over him. "What?" he demanded, still hazy with sleep.

Ringed eyes narrowed threateningly, thrumming with suppressed power and Naruto was instantly wide awake, his mind screaming ' _Danger'_ over and over again.

Uncomfortable silence filled the room as the man spent several long seconds simply staring at him with his unnerving, emotionless gaze and the child unconsciously edged away.

He did not like having the missing-nin's full attention on him. His presence was just too strong, too overwhelming and Naruto was suddenly reminded of the massive destruction left on the battlefield. The man had come out unscathed while Naruto had not even seen a _trace_ of whoever had been fighting him. That was when he realized that he had just _snarked_ at someone who had probably effortlessly obliterated a _much_ stronger opponent.

Naruto clenched the blanket and averted his gaze. Just why was he so weak?

He could feel the stare on him a few moments longer, before the man finally broke the silence with a curt order. "We are leaving in ten minutes. Get ready."

Naruto ran towards the bathroom.

* * *

They left the inn barely eight minutes later. Naruto was chewing on a loaf of bread as they walked through the overcrowded street, disguised as brothers yet again.

The village's entrance was nearing, and Naruto suddenly felt his heart drop. He did not want to get dragged to some strange place. He wanted to go _home_.

Something of his reluctance must have shown on his face because he suddenly felt a heavy hand on his right shoulder. "Don't even think about it," the man whispered quietly and there was something so _dangerous_ in his tune that Naruto felt a shiver running down his spine. He nodded mutely. He would not challenge his companion? - guard? _captor_? so soon again.

They passed a pair of old women who smiled brightly at them.

"You have an adorable brother, young man," one of them remarked, looking fondly at Naruto.

"Thank you, madam," Pain answered politely, moving his hand from Naruto's shoulder to ruffle his hair. "He is a very obedient child."

"Good, good," the second woman replied. "It's nice to see a pair of brothers being so close to each other. I hope you take good care of him, young man."

"Of course," Pain assured her calmly and rested his hand on top of the child's head. " _Always_. But I am afraid that we have to go now. Our parents are waiting for us."

"Then you should not let them wait," the first woman agreed immediately. "It was nice meeting you, boys."

"Likewise," Pain answered and slightly inclined his head.

"Such a good pair of brothers," the second woman told the first as they continued their walk. "Their parents must be very proud."

"Indeed."

The missing-nin led him past the village gates and stopped once they were out of sight, dispelling the henge and bending down to pick Naruto up again.

The child took a step back. "Wait…".

"What is it?" the man asked dispassionately.

"I…ehm…could you…carry me some other way?" Naruto asked hesitantly. "It really hurts when you jump around… _please_?"

The missing-nin answered by grabbing him by his shirt and throwing him over both of his shoulders. "Remember that you asked for it."

He took off.

* * *

Naruto was miserable. The rain kept hitting him with an almost punishing intensity and the ride was even bumpier than before. Every time the man's steps became the slightest bit uneven, he was jostled rather harshly.

His entire body hurt, and he really just wanted to be let down.

Naruto whimpered slightly as a particular high jump resulted into an especially painful jolt.

The man's gaze flickered shortly in his direction, emotionless and uncaring and the grip around Naruto tightened, pressing him further against the man's back.

"I have some business to take care of," the missing-nin informed him calmly. "We will be making a stop soon."

The man had not lied. It was not long after that they reached a small cave, hidden behind a waterfall. A campfire had already been set up. Naruto distantly wondered who had ignited it but was quickly distracted when he finally felt solid ground under his feet again. He almost cried in relief. He was not sure how much longer he could have endured being carried around.

The missing-nin dropped a bag on the cave floor and turned towards the child. His eyes flashed and Naruto suddenly found himself pinned to the wall by a powerful force.

Emotionless eyes watched impassively as he struggled to free himself, but the pressure was just too strong, too overwhelming. He could barely breathe.

"This is only a very small fraction of my power," the man told him with zero infliction in his voice. The calm, indifferent tone was unnerving, and Naruto shivered at the sheer lack of emotion in it.

"You will stay here. You will not attempt to escape. If you do, I will let you experience the full force of my true power. Do you understand me, child?"

Naruto swallowed and nodded rapidly, unable to speak.

"Good." Suddenly the intense pressure was gone, and Naruto slumped to the ground, staring wide-eyed at the man in front of him. Just how could he be so _strong_?

And why were there suddenly _two_ of him?

"I will leave a clone with you while I am gone. It should be a sufficient deterrent for any…temptations."

One of the men turned to leave. "There is food in the bag should you get hungry."

Then he was gone.

Naruto stood up and looked warily at the clone. The copy glanced at him and moved to sit next to the fire. "Strip down," he ordered curtly. "Your clothes need to dry."

Hesitantly the young boy obeyed and spread his wet clothes on the floor, before curling up next to the fire. The clone's eyes met his over the yellow flames and Naruto suddenly felt very tired.

He yawned loudly and slowly succumbed to sleep.

* * *

He was floating nowhere, distant voices ringing in his ears like faded memories. Sounds of dripping water echoing in the background, loud and foreboding. The nothing below him rippled. Shadows danced over the surface, distorted pictures of a time long passed.

" _Indra, you have to calm down."_

" _Don't tell me what to do! I am father's heir, not you!"_

" _I know that…I didn't want to take it from you. Please, we can talk about it."_

" _Talk about it up? We have nothing left to talk about."_

" _Indra…"_

" _We are going to end this! Here and now."_

" _Brother…"_

The nothing around him twisted, the images shattered under the force of an unseen power.

" _Madara…"_

" _Don't try to convince me, Hashirama."_

" _But our dream. You can't have forgotten it!"_

" _Our dream? What dream? Peace? What a joke."_

" _Madara! How can you-"_

" _Because it's the truth. Face it, Hashirama, peace is nothing but an illusion."_

" _You…"_

" _I have nothing left to say to you. Goodbye, Shodai Hokage."_

* * *

Naruto groggily opened his eyes and looked around. Where was he? Why was it so dark everywhere? He tried to sit up, but he could not move. Apprehensively, he looked down and his eyes widened as he saw the vines tightly wrapped around him.

What? _How_?

"He is awake," a voice suddenly whispered next to him. " **Yes,"** a darker one agreed.

Naruto's head whipped into the direction of the voice and stared open-mouthed at the strange creature in front of him. It was a mixture of black and white and there was a strange plant-like thing covering its head.

" _What_ are you?" he blurted out unthinkingly.

"That is not a nice question," the white side chided softly. " **He is a rude child. We should punish him,"** the black part added. The yellow eye fixed on him. "We are Zetsu."

"Zetsu?" Naruto repeated lamely. Was he still dreaming? He was dreaming, right? Because this was way too strange to be true.

The strange being approached him. " **You carry it,"** the dark side hissed angrily. 'The pendant," the white side clarified.

The pendant? Did it mean the thing he had found in the cabin? He glanced at the symbol dangling down his neck.

Zetsu followed his gaze. "Open it," he demanded.

Naruto shook his head. He had no idea why this Zetsu wanted him to open the storage, but he had no intention to do it.

The vines around him tightened painfully. " **Open it** ," the darker side ordered. " _ **Now.**_ "

"No."

A hand grabbed his head and slammed it against the stone behind him. " **Open. It."**

"No," Naruto ground out, head throbbing in pain.

The vines closed so tightly he could barely breathe.

"Don't you want to go home?" the white side suddenly asked.

Naruto froze. Home. Of course, he wanted to go home. He wanted nothing more than that. The longing must have shown on his face, because Zetsu suddenly leaned in and the black side whispered. " **I can take you home.** "

A hand grabbed his chin and yellow bore into blue. " **I can take you back to Konoha. You could be home tomorrow, little leaf.** "

Naruto swallowed. Home. He wanted to go home.

"Or you could stay here," the white side pointed out helpfully. " **Afraid.** **Alone. In pain,"** the dark side added.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, he did not know what, when Zetsu suddenly hissed in annoyance "I will be back little leaf." And _melted_ into the ground.

Naruto blanched as realization hit him.

That was the strange figure Ashura had written about!

He needed to get out of here. Now.

Naruto shifted and rubbed his arms against the sharp rock behind him.

Without the man's control, they snapped easily.

Naruto jumped up and ran.

He did not know for how long he had run, but when he suddenly collapsed from exhaustion, the sun was already high up the sky.

Tired, thirsty, and hungry Naruto crawled into an evergreen thicket to escape the thundering rain.

Where was he?

Who was this Zetsu?

What had happened to the clone?

If the man found out that he had left, he was as good as dead.

Naruto shuddered.

He had to get as far away as possible.

But where to?

He had nothing.

Nothing besides the briefs he was currently wearing.

Angrily he snatched one of the twigs on the ground and tossed it at the rainy sky. "Stupid rain!"

As if in retaliation, the rain intensified.

Naruto groaned.

He had to stand up.

Had to go on.

Or he would die here.

Clenching his teeth in determination, the young child left his shelter and soldiered on.

* * *

It was cold.

So cold.

Naruto shivered as his bare feet trudged through the wet and muddy ground.

He desperately wanted a warm a bed.

Clothes.

Food.

 _Anything_ but this never-ending rain.

He hugged his arms around him in a desperate attempt to warm himself, but his arms were so cold it hardly made a difference.

Naruto was just so incredibly tired. His vision swam and he collapsed onto the grimy path, his throat raw with thirst and his stomach growling with hunger.

Was he going to die here?  
He did not want to.

He wanted to go home.

He _needed_ to.

Suddenly a warm feeling emitted from his chest and Naruto looked down. The pendant was glowing and the skin it was touching started to tingle pleasantly.

The strange feeling quickly spread through his entire body and Naruto could feel a warm presence settling around him like a protective blanket, sheltering him from the cold and rain.

It felt so familiar and yet so different.

Smiling softly Naruto succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

Pain was furious. The child was gone. He had been on his way back when he had felt his clone dispel. Moving as quickly as possible he had returned to the cave only to find it completely empty.

Well, almost empty.

The child's clothes were still spread out next to the fire.

It was very unlikely that the boy had left without them. Whatever had happened here, he was sure that the child's disappearance had not been a voluntary decision. Besides that, the boy would never have managed to knock him out. Clone or not.

That left only one conclusion.

The child had been taken.

By whom?

The ones who had abandoned him in the cave? But that did not make any sense. Why should they have left him there, risking his death if they wanted to have him back?

Well, it did not matter now. The child needed to be found.

He had no time to waste.

Pain opened his mental connection. _'Chikushõdõ.'_

' _Yes, Tendõ?',_ the Animal path asked.

' _Are you still close?'_

' _Yes.'_ , Chikushõdõ affirmed. _'What happened?'_

Pain shared his impressions over their mental link.

' _I will send out the animals. We will find the child.'_

' _Good.',_ Tendõ answered and looked towards the sky.

It was a pity that they were not closer to Ame or he could have used his rain.

But it did not matter anyway.

Uzumaki Naruto would be found.

Pain had an entire organization of S-class ninja at his disposal after all – and if necessary, a whole village as well.

Akatsuki would always get what was _theirs_.


	3. Chapter 3

" _Brother, I managed it, look!"_

" _Let us stop this, Madara."_

" _Can you not be a little gentler, brother?_

" _I only want peace."_

" _Is there no love left in you, brother?"_

" _You would make a great Hokage."_

The images kept flitting through his mind at a rapid pace, unordered, chaotic, and faded like a long-forgotten dream.

Naruto stretched his hand out to touch the drizzled acrylic features in front of him, but the man's face evaporated before his eyes.

"It is overwhelming, isn't it?" a soft voice stated behind him.

Naruto whirled around, staring in surprise at the figure in front of him. It was a man, two brown bangs covered in bandages framing his stern, but smiling face.

"Who are you?" Naruto demanded. "What is _this_?" He pointed at the whirlpool of changing pictures.

The man came to a stop next to him. "These are memories, Naruto. _Our_ memories."

"Ours?" the boy repeated, confused.

"Yes," the man confirmed. "Ours. For you are me and I am you."

"Eh?" Naruto simply stared at the man in disbelief. "You are _me_?"

"In a manner of speaking," the man agreed, putting a gentle hand on the boy's head. "I am Ashura, and you are my reincarnation, but despite this, you are still you."

Naruto did not understand a single word the man was saying. How could they be the same? They didn't even look alike! And did he just say Ashura? Like that guy from the diary?

"You are confused," the man stated, feeling the child's disturbance. "I do not blame you. You are still quite young."

Ashura sighed. "This was never supposed to happen, you know?" he sounded like he was talking more to himself, rather than to Naruto. "Reincarnations are not supposed to know their past lives, much less their memories and experiences. And yet it did, not only once, but twice. Am I correct, Hashirama?"

Naruto's eyes widened as a second figure stepped around the whirlpool of memories. He recognized his face from the Hokage mountain. Senju Hashirama, the Shodai Hokage.

"You are, Ashura," the First answered, slowly walking towards them, meeting the child's wide eyes with a warm gaze. "Hello, Naruto."

"Hello…", the boy managed to get out, still completely dumbfounded and almost stumbling over the word. The first Hokage was standing in front of him! The founder of Konoha. That was…totally _awesome_!

"How…?" he began, unsure about what he wanted to ask. He had just so many questions!

The First laughed lightly. "Ah, I can only imagine how confused you must be, but I fear we do not have enough time to answer your questions now. Ashura's pendant will not be able to shield you for much longer, and we have to make haste to save your body."

"Hashirama is correct," Ashura concurred. "The barrier is currently sustained by our chakra residues, but our ability to interact with the physical world is limited and we cannot hold out for much longer."

Hashirama gently maneuvered the overwhelmed boy between them and put a hand on the child's shoulder. Ashura's palm was warm on his back as the man spoke again. "Remember, Naruto, a transformation can be done on any object you touch."

"We will meet again," Hashirama assured him, slightly squeezing his shoulder. "For we are one."

The last thing Naruto saw, was the power glowing in the First's eyes as two voices spoke as one.

" _Mokuton_."

* * *

There was something brown in front of his eyes. Naruto blinked. Where was he? Why was it not raining anymore?

Groggily, the child sat up, his fingers brushing over the floor. The texture felt rough under his fingertips. Was that wood?

He glanced down.

It _was_ wood.

Why was he laying on wood?

Had someone found him?

Naruto raised his head and looked at the walls. They did not look like the walls of a house. They were more…round.

Light was falling through a small crack and Naruto could hear the distinct sound of softly trickling rain.

Curiously, he crawled forward and peeked out.

There was a strong root winding its way over the ground in front of his eyes.

A root?

His head whipped up and Naruto was suddenly hit by a jolt of realization.

This was not a house.

It was a _tree_.

He had been sleeping inside a tree!

Befuddled the child sat back down, his memory wandering back to the strange dream he just had had.

Or had it been a dream?

His hand closed around the pendant.

It was warm.

That was when he remembered something else Ashura had said, and he quickly ducked out of the tree to collect some twigs and pebbles.

Not really expecting something to happen, Naruto tried henge - and stared in disbelief at the incredibly thin cloth in his hand.

It had worked.

He had just transformed an object.

Naruto yelled excitedly. That changed everything. He could make himself some clothes now!

Suddenly feeling energized, Naruto grabbed another twig and tried to transform it into some trousers.

It did not work.

He tried again.

The result was the same.

Naruto tossed the twig down and grabbed a pebble instead. His effort was rewarded with an almost transparent fabric that was vaguely shaped like a trouser.

He frowned.

Why did it work with a pebble and not the twig?

Curiously, Naruto started to experiment.

* * *

The young boy looked at the fabric in various thickness surrounding him. It was obvious now, the heavier the transformed object, the better the result.

He grabbed his best attempt and slipped into it, relishing in the warm feeling on his skin.

The child smiled cheerfully before a frown marred his young face.

Could he really go out like this?

What if the orange-haired man or this Zetsu person found him again?

He shuddered.

No, maybe it was better to disguise himself, just the way they had done it before entering the village.

But how should he look like?

Naruto slipped out of the tree and examined his distorted features in a particularly deep puddle.

His mind wandered to the men he had seen in his maybe not-dream.

Should he?

Why not.

About ten seconds later Naruto found himself looking at a young child, barely passing as a teen. Curiously, he brushed his hand through the long blond hair as dark eyes scrutinized the pronounced jawline.

It was an unusual look, but it suited him quite well.

Feeling more daring now things were starting to look up, Naruto was ready to brave the world again.

* * *

It was two hours later that Naruto finally saw the first signs of life. A road. He had actually found a real road!

He grinned happily. If there was a road, there had to be a village somewhere. All he had to do was follow it.

He jumped down the bolder and stepped on the cobbled path.

The landscape around him was getting greener again, and it seemed like the rain lost its intensity with every step he took.

Naruto raised his head to look at the sky and he sighed in relief when could see the first rays of the sun fighting their way through the thick clouds.

Footsteps sounded behind him and Naruto turned his head. A couple of farmers were passing by, laughing loudly. A few of them nodded into Naruto's direction as they walked past him.

The child waited for a few moments before trailing after them.

The town they let him to was not very big and only consisted of around fifty wooden houses.

At the center of the town was a small inn, about three stories high and not exactly of the modern kind. Naruto could see the sickly yellow color peeling off the slightly cracked façade.

His eyes lightened, only to dull shortly after, because he realized that he actually needed money to go there.

He had been so focused on finding a town that he had not even thought about what to do after he had actually found one.

Unsure what to do now, Naruto wandered through the streets, his eyes hungrily running over the various market stands, idly listening to the conversations going on around him.

"The apples really look delicious today."

"Should we buy one or two cabbages?"

"Kaa-san, can I have some dango?"

Naruto had just passed one stall when he heard something interesting.

"What, no fish again?"

"I am sorry, madam, but the landslide last month completely blocked the fishing route. The scarp is way to steep for us to climb over it."

"It hasn't been fixed, yet?" the woman demanded indignantly.

"We have sent a request to Ame but they haven't replied yet," the vendor answered apologetically.

The woman huffed in annoyance. "Ninja."

Naruto had heard enough. A steep cliff was nothing for him. If he could climb over and catch some fish, he could sell them!

Making a snap decision, he asked a kindly looking older woman about the landslide's whereabouts.

* * *

Naruto understood the problem the moment he saw the masses of earth and stone that had fallen into the river. The section where the right arm of the river originated was completely blocked while the left was roaring with furious intensity. It was almost like a natural barrage.

He jumped down and eyed the high cliff framing the right arm. Yes, he could work with that.

Carefully, he tested his footing and nodded in satisfaction at the stable ground.

Wasting no time, Naruto walked up the scarp, carefully climbing around the landslide.

* * *

The sun was already high when the child returned to the village, carrying an entire basket full of fish in his hands.

While he was busy contemplating how to go about selling it, the distinct smell of fresh fish had already caught the attention of several passers-by.

"Child," an excited male voice asked. "Is that fish? _Fresh_ fish?" The loudly asked question immediately drew the interest of even more people.

"Yes," Naruto answered, slightly surprised by this development, but quickly going along with it. "Want to buy some?"

"Of course," the man immediately agreed. "Give me two. No three."

"I want one, too!" a second voice joined in.

"Me, too," a young mother ordered.

"I want two!"

"One for me!"

"Three over here!"

The demand was so high that Naruto's basket had been emptied in less than two minutes and those who had not managed to buy one, groaned in disappointment.

"Do you have more fish, boy?" an elderly man demanded to know.

Naruto shook his head. "No."

"You will have more tomorrow?" the man inquired.

The child hesitated. He had actually not planned on going more than once because he just wanted to have enough to get a meal, but then he realized that he could get many more coins by going again.

He nodded.

Satisfied with that response, the surrounding crowd dispersed until only one man remained, staring at him with narrowed eyes. "How did you get those fish, kid?"

"I caught them," Naruto answered honestly.

" _Where_ did you catch them?" the man asked sharply, attempting to grab the boy, but he was stopped by a firm hand closing around his wrist. "Leave the child alone, Sanzo. He does not have to answer you."

The man called Sanzo snarled at the interloper and left angrily.

"Are you okay there, kid?" Naruto's rescuer asked, looking at him with stern, but kind eyes.

"Yes…thanks," Naruto answered, smiling up at him.

"Good," the man patted his head. "Be careful in the future. If someone like him annoys you again, kick them between the legs and run."

Naruto blinked at that strange advice and nodded hesitantly. "...Okay."

"Good boy," the man praised him, gave Naruto a casual wave and sauntered off.

What a strange guy.

* * *

Naruto's eyes gleamed as he saw the gigantic bowl of tempura the waitress had just put in front of him, and he wasted no time digging in.

It was delicious.

The child was already halfway through his second bowl when the door was opened, and a man stepped in. Conversations stopped and the air grew tense as people recognized the slashed headband on the man's forehead.

A missing-nin.

Naruto nearly dropped his chopsticks.

Not because of the man's status.

But because of the very familiar clouds on the man's black robe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you have seen, I played a bit around with henge. It was way too overpowered for this story, so I added some "mastery levels" to henge when it comes to transforming objects:
> 
> \- Beginners can only transform things into objects of roughly equal mass. The better they get at it, the greater the difference can be, until they don't need to care about it anymore.
> 
> \- Beginners can only transform things up to a certain mass. The better they get at it, the greater the difference can be, until they don't need to care about it anymore.
> 
> If I hadn't done that, Naruto could have simply transformed a couple of random leaves into a fancy four-story mansion - with a garden and a ramen stand.


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto lowered his eyes on the bowl as the man slowly made his way to the counter, passing the fearful patrons.

His path led him directly to Naruto, who silently cursed himself for having taken a seat so close to the bar.

He stared intently on the bowl, terrified to be found out.

What should he do now? Leave? No, that was too obvious.

Suddenly there was a soft gentle brush against his mind, followed by an impression of safety and calmness, and Naruto remembered that he was _disguised_.

He relaxed slightly and picked up another tempura. It would be best if he acted completely normal.

The missing-nin was now next to him, and Naruto hastily bit into his fried fish when he felt the man's gaze passing over him.

"Get me something to drink," he ordered the innkeeper in a gruff voice. The man nodded hurriedly and ran off to follow the order.

The missing-nin sat down on a chair and snorted in derision at the fear-filled stares he got from the inn's occupants.

Naruto did his best to ignore him and continued eating, not realizing that he was the only one who did not seem to be disturbed by the threatening newcomer.

"Child," the missing-nin suddenly addressed him, and Naruto froze slightly, reluctantly turning his head to look at the man.

"Yes?" he answered, silently glad that his voice did not quiver.

Red-green eyes fixed on him and the man nodded at his bowl. "Is the food good? I would hate to waste my money on something that tastes like trash."

Naruto blinked in surprise and nodded slowly. "It's good," he answered honestly.

The man grunted. "I'll remember you said that." It sounded like a mixture of a promise and a threat. "Innkeeper, get me a bowl of what that child is having. Make it quick."

"Yes, sir," the innkeeper answered, putting the drink in front of the man, and practically fled into the kitchen to personally inform the cook of the order.

The missing-nin grabbed the mug and took several long gulps, putting the glass back down with a loud bang.

Several patrons twitched slightly at the sound.

Naruto finished his last piece and put his chopsticks down, but as he moved to stand up, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and pushed him back down. "You aren't going anywhere before I haven't tasted the food, kid."

"Your order is being prepared, sir," the innkeeper informed the missing-nin. "It will be done shortly," he added, throwing a pitying look at Naruto.

"Good," the missing-nin answered, relaxing slightly on the chair.

Naruto stared at his empty bowl. Just why did he keep running into all these dangerous people?

He really hoped that the chef would hurry up so that he could go. The longer he stayed, the higher the possibility that he ended up being discovered.

* * *

About twenty very tense minutes later, the innkeeper personally put a steaming bowl of tempura in front of the man.

The missing-nin eyed the food with narrowed eyes, picked up one of the smaller pieces and turned towards Naruto. "Eat," he ordered him sharply.

Naruto gingerly took the fried fish and obeyed the order, critically watched by distrusting eyes.

When it became obvious that the food was not poisoned, the missing-nin finally picked up his chopsticks and started to eat.

"Passable," he decided after he had taken a few bites.

The innkeeper visibly relaxed and Naruto felt incredibly relieved, too.

"What are you standing around for?" the missing-nin snapped at the man. "Get me another drink."

"Of course," the innkeeper agreed immediately, rushing off to follow the order.

Naruto absently played with his chopsticks, silently wondering how to get out of this situation. Summoning his courage, he turned towards the eating male. "Can I go now?"

"No," his currently captor answered curtly.

"But –"

The man's head whipped around, and two-colored eyes glared at the child. "You can go when I say you can go. Until then, I suggest you keep your mouth shut and let me eat in peace. If you annoy me too much, I might just decide to gag you and sell you off instead of letting you go. I wouldn't mind some extra money."

Naruto froze and hastily closed his mouth.

Sell him off?

He swallowed. That was not something he wanted. At all.

"Calm, Naruto," a faint voice suddenly whispered softly inside his mind. It sounded like Hashirama. "Calm down and remember."

_"This is enough, right?" the Shodai's gaze bore into the man's eyes, disgusted at the greed shining in the black orbs._

_"Let him go and this is yours," he added. "All of it."_

_"And what is stopping me from just taking it?" the man answered, grinning oily at him._

_"Your reputation," Hashirama answered easily. "You always pay back what you owe. Don't you?"_

Naruto blinked and slightly shook his head, unsure about what just had happened to him. Was it a dream? A memory? And why had he suddenly zoned out now?

Then he remembered the money bag Hashirama had handed the man. Was this a sign? Was he supposed to do the same?

He was rather reluctant to part with his earnings so soon. But if it meant that he could be free again.

Making a snap decision, he grabbed the rest of his money. The bag hit the counter with the distinct sound of clinking coin.

The missing-nin looked up and fixed the child with something akin to mild interest.

"This is enough, right?" Naruto asked, echoing Hashirama's earlier words. "Let me go and this is yours. All of it."

There was now definitely amusement shimmering in the missing-nin's eyes. "Quite a bold move, child. You realize I could just take it and kill you, right?"

"You won't," Naruto answered, sounding surer than he felt and fervently hoped that his vision proved to be correct. "You always pay back what you owe. Don't you?"

A gruff, surprised laugh escaped the man's lips. "What is your name child?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment, thrown off by the unexpected question. What should he answer? How should he call himself? There was no way he could use his real name.

His mind went rapidly through the few names he knew, trying to come up with something that sounded right and finally voiced the one he felt most comfortable with.

"Shura," he answered firmly. "My name is Shura."

"Very well, Shura," the man leaned forward until his face was level with the child's. "We have a deal. Leave your coins and go, child."

Naruto did his best not to show the relief he felt at the man's words. Trying to imitate memory-Hashirama's posture, he nodded once and turned to leave.

He could feel the impressed and disbelieving stares of several patrons following him, but the missing-nin's calculating gaze was way more paramount.

* * *

The door closed behind him, and Naruto exhaled loudly. The incident had been a close one. He had almost been captured again.

Deep in thought, he walked through the darkened streets, wondering where he should go to sleep now. He really had been looking forward to spending a night at the inn.

He was just walking past the inn's stables when a hand suddenly emerged out of the shadows and dragged him inside. "You really attract trouble, don't you, kid? Got yourself out of it well enough, though."

Recognizing the familiar voice, Naruto stopped struggling and turned in the man's grip to see his rescuer standing in front of him. "At least you were wise enough _not_ to follow my advice and kick an S-rank into his balls," the man added.

"S-rank?" Naruto repeated, putting aside the question of just why the man had felt the need to drag him inside the stables, in favor of asking the more pressing one. "That was an S-rank?"

"You don't even know _who_ that was?" the man asked him in disbelief and shook his head. "That was Kakuzu, kid. One of the most infamous bounty hunters running about. He's ruthless and only interested in making money."

Naruto blanched. He had actually bartered with someone so dangerous?

"Offering to pay him was the wisest move you could have made," the man continued, finally removing his hand from the child's arm. "Pretty impressive for someone so young."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at him. "Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded to know.

The man chuckled. "The name's Tetsui, kid, and I believe we can help each other."

Seeing the boy's suspicious gaze, he grinned brightly, showing sharp white teeth. "It's simple: I need a cover and you need someone to train you, right?"

Naruto froze. "How…?"

"I am a sensor," Tetsui informed him, sounding thoroughly amused. "And you are leaking so much chakra, you are practically a walking spotlight. If you don't learn how to control it, whoever is after you will find you soon."

Naruto's eyes widened at the man's implications.

"So," Tetsui asked him cheerfully. "What do you say? Am I getting a little brother?"

Brother? Naruto was eerily reminded of the last time someone had pretended to be his brother. But then, did he have a choice? He needed to learn how to control his chakra and people were not exactly lining up to teach him.

"Okay," he answered, not really sure if he had not just doomed himself by agreeing.

"Excellent." Tetsui grinned brightly, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement, delight, and satisfaction. "Then little one, why don't you show your older brother your real face? Or were you planning on staying transformed forever?"

Not even surprised anymore at the man's knowledge, Naruto swallowed slightly and released the transformation.

Tetsui suddenly found himself looming over a five-year-old kid, looking up at him with wide, blue eyes.

There was a moment of silence before the man suddenly started to laugh. "Oh, kami. You are even more of a kid than before!"

* * *

They left the town less than ten minutes later. "Just in case Kakuzu decides to go looking for you," Tetsui had told him with a grim face. "It's best to get you away from here as fast as possible. He may have agreed to let you go once because you amused him, but you might not be so lucky next time."

That had effectively stopped any complaints the child might have had about moving yet again. "Don't worry," the man added lightly as he saw the ill-concealed dissatisfaction on the child's face. "There is another village about three hours away."

"Shinobi hours or normal hours?" Naruto asked in trepidation, not eager to be carried again.

"Shinobi," the man replied, and Naruto grumbled in displeasure. "You are going to carry me, right?"

Tetsui's lips twitched. "Yes," he agreed. "I'll try not jostle you too much," he added.

Naruto sighed and squeaked when he was suddenly cradled into the man's arms. "Ready?" Tetsui asked, and Naruto nodded in embarrassment.

"Good. Now hold on. We are leaving."

* * *

It made no sense.

The child had been missing for two days by now. He was unclothed and unprotected. He should have found traces of him or his abductors already, and yet Pain's search had come up empty.

'Chikushõdõ, do you have any results yet?'

'No Tendõ,' the animal path answered. 'But the birds are still looking. If he is anywhere out in the open, we will find him.'

'Chikushõdõ's mind link went dormant for a moment before Pain felt his presence again. "I have received a report. The birds found a massive oaken tree within their domain west from your position. According to them, it is hollow and had just turned up overnight.'

Pain frowned. A tree that turned up out of nowhere? How was that possible? Was there a Mokuton user close by? But as far as he knew, that particular ability had been unique to the First Hokage.

'Investigate it," he ordered.

'Affirmative,' Chikushõdõ agreed.

Pain furrowed his brows. A child that woke up in a cave far away from his home. A missing tailed beast. And now a hollow tree that turned up out of nowhere.

Just what was going on here?

* * *


End file.
